Around 800 workers at Heathrow Airport are threatening to cause disruption at Britain’s busiest airport with a seven-day strike planned to coincide with the May Day bank holiday getaway next month.
The walkout will involve employees belonging to three crucial departments that keep the operation going – Passenger Services, baggage trolley operations and campus security, who are responsible for screening all the vehicles, such as catering trucks, that enter the airport.
Workers are furious about plans to outsource their jobs in a bid to make annual savings of £40 million and airport management have reportedly refused to discuss alternatives to their plan with the Unite union that represents many Heathrow workers.
As well as the three departments already confirmed to be going on strike, firefighters and airside operations workers could also join the walkout because they fear their jobs could be next to be outsourced.
Heathrow wouldn’t be able to keep running without an operational fire service but the airport says it already has “robust contingency plans” and passengers shouldn’t notice any impact to their journeys even if the strike goes ahead.
A spokesperson for the airport described Unite’s call for a strike as “unnecessary” and reassured passengers hoping to travel for Heathrow that their flights would go ahead.
“We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers. There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted,” the airport said in a statement.
“Unite’s threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly just like we have in the past.”
In addition to this strike, on Monday, the Unite union also called a separate 72-hour strike by aircraft refuelling workers that is expected to start on May 4. Some of the impacted airlines include Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and United, although British Airways will not be affected.
